


Sometimes You Just Need a Hug, Dude

by lexiecat



Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Short One Shot, Takes place in Episode 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 12:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16933071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiecat/pseuds/lexiecat
Summary: Have you ever thought about the fact that Gary hasn't been hugged by anyone living in at least five years?





	Sometimes You Just Need a Hug, Dude

        Gary hadn’t been hugged by another living being in five years. It was better than he remembered, in all honesty. Even if it’s a guy he’s not even known for a week yet, and he’s probably only holding on to Gary because they’re stuck in a shield, floating through space, waiting for H.U.E. to come pick them up. But still. It’s a hug. Gary hadn’t realized how much he missed hugging someone else that was alive. He had forgotten how warm it was, how nice it was to be able to feel the other person breathing alongside of you.  
        Gary pauses for a moment, listening to their breathing before deciding that it’s too quiet. When you’re with someone else, you’re supposed to talk right? Gary realizes after a second that he’s gotten too used to the sound of quiet. Quiet, in his mind, meant being alone, and he’s clearly not alone now so… He should say something, right? To make sure that both of them are really here, in this moment?  
       “So… You’ve got a son?” Avocato instantly stiffens, and Gary wonders for a moment if he’ll let go. Do they need to be hugging in order to stay together in Avocato’s shield? Oh god, he hopes not. He doesn’t want the warmth to be gone, he’s missed it so much…  
        “I… Yeah, I do.” When the reply comes, it’s almost so soft that it nearly gets scrambled up in the rest of Gary’s thoughts. He just barely catches it.  
        “How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”  
        There’s another beat of silence, before Avocato replies, “Three years.”  
        “That’s… a really long time, dude.” Gary doesn’t really know how else to respond, he’s never been a father so how would he know even remotely what that’s like… Unless, he supposes, it would be the same sort of hurt that he feels when he thinks about his own dad… But there are so many different kinds of hurt, it would be stupid of him to try to voice how maybe that would connect the two of them.  
        “Mmhmm. You know, we really should save our oxygen in here so…” Avocato mutters, staring off into space.  
         Gary bites his lip. Crap. No, he doesn’t want this conversation to end there, he doesn’t want to be left with those thoughts about fathers and sons and being apart… Crap, crap why did he decide that asking about his son now would be a good idea, why did he start there… Now he’s ruined everything and it’s all his fault…  
        He _needs_ to say something, so before he stops himself he finds himself saying, “Thanks for jumping to the catwalk with me.”  
Avocato snorts and for another second Gary finds himself panicking that he said something else that would make this moment worse, give Avocato another reason to let him go, leave him alone in silence once again…  
        But then Avocato speaks and says, “I mean, I didn’t really have much of a choice. Those guys were everywhere.”  
        Gary nods reflexively. “I mean, yeah of course.” Then it goes quiet again, and Gary finds his brain scrambling once more. He starts running through more talking points, but can’t really think of anything. Should he try calling H.U.E again, just to start talking? Would that be too weird? Or maybe not?  
        “Thanks… For your quick thinking back there. And coming back for me.” Once again it comes so quiet, Gary almost misses it. He blinks for a second, trying to process what to say back. What do you say back to that, after everything that the two of them had been through today?  
        “I… I would do it again.” It doesn’t seem fully right, he’s not sure Avocato even believes him. But, that’s okay. He knows it’s the truth, and as long as he stays true it it… Everything will work out. He makes a promise to himself right then and there that he’ll help Avocato whenever he needs it.  
        Gary suddenly finds himself wondering how long it’s been since Avocato’s been hugged. Since he last saw his son? Or could it be longer? Gary pauses, giving him a light squeeze, hoping that he’s enjoying the warmth as well. He hopes that Avocato is noticing that he’s finally not alone either.


End file.
